


Bad With Words

by rosyhinaa



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Getting Together, Iwaizumi Hajime is Bad at Feelings, Kissing in the Rain, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Minor Hanamaki Takahiro/Matsukawa Issei, Volleyball Dorks in Love, they really need to talk it out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-12 10:06:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28633719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosyhinaa/pseuds/rosyhinaa
Summary: Oikawa looked like a cornered animal. That was the best way to describe it. Eyes wide, pupils dilated in search of light, swallowing the chocolate brown irises. His mouth hung open after he spoke.Iwaizumi swallowed hard, not really knowing how to respond. He’s never been one to express emotion of any kind, so this was uncharted waters. He’s also never seen Oikawa get this defensive over his own feelings.
Relationships: Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru
Comments: 2
Kudos: 96





	Bad With Words

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to only be a thread-fic, but it just spiraled out of control. I hope you enjoy!!

And in the silence of the stretching night, Oikawa speaks up. 

“Why’d you let me stay over?” Rolling over onto his side, gaze meeting with Iwaizumi’s broad back. 

“We’re friends, asshole, now go to bed.” Oikawa sighed and continued staring sadly as Iwaizumi’s back gently expanded and decompressed with each silent breath. “Stop staring at me and actually sleep, god knows you need it.”

“You’re creepy Iwa-chan,” Oikawa huffed, feigning his usual chipperness. This prompted Iwaizumi to shift onto his back, sigh, then shift once more so that he was now facing Oikawa. Oikawa, whose lips weren’t placed in their usual shit-eating smirk, but a gentle pout; Oikawa, whose eyes were now brimming with tears. Iwaizumi attempted to remain completely poker-faced, hoping to get the point across that he was indeed still mad at his friend who had woken him with a start at around 2:30 in the morning. 

“Sorry,” Oikawa mumbled and rubbed his face into the pillow he was occupying, wiping the tears off. Out of sight, out of mind. But he was hurting so badly. Despite being in a comfortable bed, one which he’s laid in multiple times in the past, and being next to his best friend, he felt hurt. Endlessly, inconsolably hurt. 

“You’re fine.” Iwaizumi’s voice was rough, but it was unintentional, more like a habit from constantly  insulting chiding the boy. His girlfriend had finally called it quits, which was something  _ everyone  _ had seen coming miles away, but for some reason ‘everyone’ did not include the person who was actually in the relationship. Hell, Matsukawa bet Iwaizumi that they wouldn’t make it more than five months, he was right of course, much to Iwaizumi’s chagrin because he now owed the boy lunch for the remainder of the week.

“You’re a real idiot you know that?” That’s not what he wanted to say, but it slipped out anyway. The girl he was involved with was never the nicest to his friends, never showed up to matches, and was never really  _ there  _ for him in the ways he needed. It pissed the third years off tremendously, though they’d never admit it. They knew that Oikawa could do much better.

“Yeah.” Oikawa looked like he was trying to cower behind the pillow, grasping his arms around it, shoving the bottom half of his face in and looking at Iwaizumi through his eyelashes. “I’m-”

“If you apologize again I’m shoving you off the bed.” The only lighting was from the excess glow of streetlights outside that leaked through Iwaizumi’s window. They cast slanted strips of pale light across the room and in this abnormal, dim light, Iwaizumi’s icy glare seemed kinder, but Oikawa figured that was simply a trick of the shadows. 

Iwaizumi contemplated pushing him off the bed solely on the principle of Oikawa pissing him off. He was pretty sure what he was feeling was anger and frustration, common emotions that took place when he looked at Oikawa. But he was smart, he knew better; he knew that as much as  he wanted to be annoyed at the pitiful presence in his bed, he just couldn’t. And although it pained him severely, he was concerned. 

“It’s not your fault.” Oikawa finally met his gaze, “So quit apologizing like it is.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t have to show up uninvited the night before you have a test.”

“Screw the test, you came to me because you needed support, I’m always here to give that for you.” He made sure to keep an edge to his voice, not wanting to sound too worried.

"Don't say that Iwa-chan, I might think you actually care," Oikawa scoffed. Iwaizumi squinted at the boy. Sad and muffled by a pillow,  _ his  _ pillow, eyebrows creased and hair amiss from his frantic run to Iwaizumi’s house. 

And Iwaizumi couldn't believe that Oikawa thought he didn't care. 

That anger and frustration from before bubbled back up in his chest.

“ _ Huh?”  _ Oikawa’s eyes darted up at this sudden exclamation. Iwaizumi was leaning forward with his brows furrowed to oblivion, “You think  _ I  _ don’t care?”

“Well-”

“Don’t even finish that sentence, I may be a hardass sometimes, but that’s only because  _ you  _ act like a brat!” Iwaizumi’s face was twisted up in a pinched fashion, one that didn’t look too comfortable to Oikawa. “Like right now, stop apologizing for coming here because you were upset someone broke up with  _ you.  _ That’s normal, this is normal...you’re just-god! You’re so stupid sometimes.” Iwaizumi was more frustrated than anything.

He was frustrated because his lifelong friend refused to stop getting down on himself. He was frustrated because Oikawa would just continue to have a pity party unless he intervened harshly. He was frustrated because, wow, Oikawa’s hair looks  _ so  _ soft in the light and he’s sitting here crying over a girl who never cared. Finally, he was frustrated because  _ he  _ cared. Why did he care so much? Oikawa was his friend since forever, so obviously he’d care. But why was he taking mental note of his appearance, which to be fair, wasn’t even that bad considering he ran there and sat crying for an hour before settling down. 

The realization almost made him punch Oikawa and go for a mile jog in the dead of night. 

Iawizumi Hajime was in love with his best friend. 

His breaths suddenly became a conscious physical response, he told himself to expand his lungs to take in the air he felt like he didn’t even need. 

_ Shit.  _

Iwaizumi didn’t want to imagine the look on Hanamaki’s or Matsukawa’s faces, they teased him endlessly about Oikawa, but he always figured it was just because they were close. 

_ How the hell did they know before me? _

He supposed it was because they were involved themselves, they might have some gay x-ray insight. 

Oikawa’s eyes were a bit wide, staring at Iwaizumi, drinking in what he had just said. His eyes weren’t wet anymore, merely glossy, the remnants of the long cry he had that still lingered. 

“I want to apologize again Iwa-chan, you make me feel stupid sometimes.” A sad smile appeared on his face. 

“That’s not what I meant and-”

“Then what  _ did  _ you mean?” Oikawa sat up, stiff as a board. He was now glaring at Iwaizumi, who was wondering what was the catalyst to this change of demeanor. 

“Wh-”

Oikawa cut him off again, “You tell me this is normal, then you call me stupid! You reassure me that you’re here for me, but you’re about as emotionally available as a brick wall Iwaizumi,” Oikawa spit out his full last name. An invisible bullet broke through Iwaizumi’s chest along with his equally as invisible armor. Even though he hated his nickname, that was Oikawa’s  _ thing.  _ It was  _ their  _ thing, he was  _ Iwa-chan  _ and Oikawa was any number of insulting names Iwaizumi could rattle off. 

Iwaizumi sat up, mirroring Oikawa’s stiff position. “Well you are stupid.” Iwaizumi didn’t really know if he was helping or not.

“Then why do you tell me that it’s fine for me to be upset? If I’m so dumb!” Oikawa looked like a cornered animal. That was the best way to describe it. Eyes wide, pupils dilated in search of light, swallowing the chocolate brown irises. His mouth hung open after he spoke. 

Iwaizumi swallowed hard, not really knowing how to respond. He’s never been one to express emotion of any kind, so this was uncharted waters. He’s  _ also  _ never seen Oikawa get this defensive over his own feelings. 

“I-”

“You can never just...you can never validate anything I do or say.  _ Never!”  _ Oikawa scooted away from Iwaizumi, an action that left both the bed between them and Iwaizumi’s heart cold. “Just  _ once  _ I wish you’d say,  _ I’m here for you Oikawa,  _ instead of insulting the shit out of me and expecting me to take it!”

Iwaizumi felt like Oikawa had just slapped him across the face. He didn’t really know what to say to make this situation better. 

“Oikawa-”

“I’ll leave you alone, Iwaizumi...see you tomorrow,” he said, pushing himself off the bed with a faraway look in his eyes. 

“Would you just listen!” Iwaizumi jumped up after him. 

“You’re gonna wake up your parents.” Oikawa made it to Iwaizumi’s bedroom door, shaking and tired. Part of him wanted to stay in his friend’s bed, but he figured it was smarter to just leave. 

“Don’t walk out that door Oikawa.” Iwaizumi’s voice was unrecognizable, even  _ he  _ was surprised at the soft, half-broken sentence that left his mouth. “Don’t.”

“I can do what I want Iwaizumi.” Everytime he spit out his name, Iwaizumi hated it a little bit more. He wished he’d never have to hear his full name ever again, at least not spoken with like this. The disdain in Oikawa’s voice was harsher than any injury Iwaizumi had ever sustained and he wished he could just block it out. 

“You can’t.” Iwaizumi was losing time, losing his attention. 

“Why?” Oikawa did stop though, Iwaizumi silently thanked whatever entity was watching over him at the moment that made Oikawa stop with his hand resting on the doorknob. 

“Because,”  _ I love you?  _ That didn’t sound fair to Iwaizumi, both him and Oikawa were in compromising positions. Who was he to declare his just-realized love when Oikawa was so vulnerable, what was he even expecting? “Because you can’t.”

He’d never been good with words. 

Iwaizumi much preferred actions, there was never gray-area when you just  _ did  _ what you felt like doing. Ah, but that was so much harder in practice, as he was discovering. Iwaizumi approached where Oikawa stood slowly, trying to plan out each movement in his head. 

  
He reached for Oikawa’s wrist gently, and surprisingly enough the boy didn’t recoil from the touch. Iwaizumi didn’t really know what he was doing, or what he was even planning, he just wanted to keep Oikawa _there._

He didn’t remember reaching for Oikawa’s face and he certainly didn’t remember pulling him so close so that their lips were almost brushing. 

“No…” Oikawa mumbled, Iwaizumi immediately drew back, hand still gently placed on Oikawa’s cheek. “Iwaizumi, don’t do this.”

Iwaizumi dropped his hand. 

“Please, not now...I-I’m leaving.” Oikawa wasn’t scared, that’s his best friend, no matter what happened, they had an uncanny bond that they knew couldn’t be broken,  _ right?  _ He stated his leave, but felt as if he could barely move. With his back still on the door, he tightened his grip on the doorknob and turned it; the space between him and Iwaizumi got larger as he opened the door. 

Iwaizumi could only watch as Oikawa slipped out the door. He stood in place until he heard his front door open, then close. The image of his friend’s wide eyes and trembling lips was extremely fresh in his mind and just as stuck in his brain. Something told him he probably shouldn’t go after Oikawa, and in fear of making things worse than they already were, he stayed put; staring at the door that stood ajar. 

Oikawa ran back home. He thought he was too fatigued to even move, but once he crossed the threshold leaving Iwaizumi’s house, he broke into a dead sprint down the dark street. Tears didn’t have a chance to fall, as they were propelled backwards to his temples. He really wanted to stop, maybe catch his breath, maybe scream. But he settled for the burning feeling in his chest and throat. Almost like he was drowning above water. 

He ran until he had passed his own house, it’d do him no good to go straight home anyway, it wasn’t like he’d be able to sleep. His only company was the odd streetlamp every few yards and his own footsteps following him, but even that was almost too much for him at the moment. Collapsing on the curb, panting with his head in his hands, he looked back up the street which he came. And he sat, maybe hoping for someone to come chasing after him. 

He knew that after what happened he was being a bit too optimistic to wish for that. But he still waited for footsteps that weren’t his own to come crashing down on the pavement that stretched behind him. He sighed and shook his head, attempting to collect his thoughts, but his mind was moving too fast for him to handle. 

_ Why was I so pissed at him in the first place?  _

_ Why am I being so defensive?  _

_ Why do I want him here?  _

_ Did he try to-? _

_ No way. _

_ What the hell just happened? _

With no luck in organizing his jumbled thoughts, he hoisted himself up on wavering legs and tried to take himself back home, walking impossibly slow. Maybe sluggishness instead will clear his head. Taking time to notice each tree he passed, said each address out loud, and avoiding all cracks and blemishes in the road didn’t do much to distract him. 

__

After a painfully long while, he made it to his own home. He kicked off his shoes and immediately beelined to his room. His room felt colder than he was used to and hesitantly he shed the sweater he was wearing, now damp with cold sweat. Replacing it with a fresh sweater and a thick blanket, then he laid down in bed. Silence ensued almost instantly. Without the rustling of clothes, or his ragged breathing, the silence was deafeningly loud. 

__

He rolled to his side and was met with a childhood photograph of him and Iwaizumi. He exhaled sharply,  _ of course.  _

__

He promptly rolled back over, pulled the blanket over his head and tried to force himself to sleep. 

__

Iwaizumi had finally gotten himself to move and had since plopped himself on the edge of his bed, replaying the disastrous scenario that took place. They had been  _ so  _ close. He didn’t really know what he was expecting in pulling his best friend in like that, but he also didn’t  _ not  _ know–he figures that’s why he did it in the first place. 

__

He turned around to the small table that sat beside his bed and found his phone, only one new message and it was from Watari, stating that he would be late to practice the next day, why he didn’t just text Oikawa himself, Iwaizumi didn’t know. 

__

Something told him that it would be absolute radio silence from Oikawa for a while. 

__

And it was  _ his  _ fault. To think that he was trying his hardest to comfort Oikawa and it completely blew up in his face. He would have laughed if he weren’t so upset.

__

*

__

The following day was tense, the hallways seemed to be missing something and the rest of the students quickly realized that the normally rowdy volleyball captain and his ace counterpart were not speaking. As unsettling as it was, they tried to keep the behavior of the team normal, everyone else talking, shoving and joking, save for two emotionally injured players. 

__

Finally at lunch, when Hanamaki saw Iwaizumi step away rather than join them at their usual table, he decided to be nosey and follow him. Only to find out he was merely seated in the hallway by the block of lockers his belongs in. 

“The hell’s up with you today?” Hanamaki asked, shoving his hands deep into his pockets and raising his shoulders a bit, as if he were uncomfortable asking.

“Nothing, why?” Iwaizumi mumbled, mouth half full. 

Hanamaki made a face of disgust and laughed before sliding down the lockers to sit next to him. 

“You and Shittykawa aren’t speaking and now you’re avoiding us as a whole.” Iwaizumi wasn’t surprised he came to that conclusion, it was pretty obvious they were about as repulsed from one another today as twin charged magnets. But he wasn’t prepared for it to be addressed, Hanamaki and Matsukawa were not the type to outright ask about issues or insert themselves into drama that didn’t necessarily concern them. 

But...he supposed it did concern them seeing as how they were all on the same team and their usual dynamic was much lighter than it was currently. He felt a bit guilty, it  _ was  _ his fault after all. The recurring thought made his stomach churn. 

“Hm,” He half grunted-half hummed in response, trying not to sound too interested. But in all honesty he was almost ready to pry information from Hanamaki, but the boy interrupted Iwaizumi’s thoughts.

“He hasn’t said anything to me, just so you know...I sent Mattsun after him to see if we could dissect the situation.”

“So you guys are what? Shitty spies?” A ghost of a smile came and went on Iwaizumi’s face. 

Hanamaki smiled, “Yeah, ‘guess so.” He paused, “I don’t mean to pry, but that’s exactly what I’m going to do, so.” He sighed and looked at Iwaizumi, “What the hell happened between you two?”

“Long story,” Iwaizumi responded thickly. 

Hanamaki looked at a nearby clock, “Well, we’ve got about twenty minutes, how about you give me a run down.”

“How about I don’t?” 

“You guys are both fucking ridiculous.” 

Iwaizumi decided to throw him a bone, “We got in a fight,” He stated simply. Hanamaki heard this and considered it briefly. 

“Well that really clears it up, thanks man,” Hanamaki replied flatly. “Well, it was obviously something  _ so  _ horrible neither of you will ever recover and Mattsun and I should be the new captain and vice then?” 

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes, “ _ Ha ha  _ very funny, it’s fine. Just a fight.” But the word  _ fight  _ held so much weight in his throat. He and Oikawa had spats, they bickered, but they never stopped talking. Nor did they ever actively avoid one another. Iwaizumi swallowed hard, feeling like he had a rock caught in his esophagus,  _ guess there’s a first time for everything. _

Hanamaki cocked an accusing brow,  _ “Just  _ a fight huh? Y’know...you can talk to me,” he finished in a softer tone. 

Iwaizumi blew out a breath. He knew that, he knew his friends were there for him, but he wasn’t sure if it was right to share the details. If Oikawa didn’t want people to know about this, he wouldn’t tell, but of course, it wasn’t like he could ask Oikawa about his wishes towards the actions between them currently shrouded in secretism. 

In an unfortunate turn of events, Matsukawa rounds the corner with his nose pinched up in an unpleasant expression. 

“Fancy seeing you two here huh,” he joked, though his face read differently. 

“What did he say?” Hanamaki asked like he was a mafia head wondering about a recent interrogation (this wasn’t too far from the truth). 

“A fight, something about he doesn’t know what to do, and he’s worried...I’m not really sure, the details got muddled between his tears.”

_ Oh.  _

The pair glanced at Iwaizumi and were met with a strangled sort of look, semi-squinted eyes, furrowed brows, tense jaw.

_ “Uh... _ are you okay man?” Matsukawa asked, his normal playful tone completely gone from his voice. 

Iwaizumi shook his head stiffly, “He was crying?” That struck a chord and now  _ his  _ eyes began to water. “Shit,” he let out in a small, cynical laugh. He brushed his fingers under his eyes, getting rid of the wetness that was threatening to spill over before it ever got the chance to do so. 

As if on cue, the hallway dimmed as a consequence of the sun being stifled out by light gray clouds. Iwaizumi didn’t catch the shared eye-roll of the duo before him. Light raindrops started falling in uniform with small tears from Iwaizumi. 

“Hey, I’m sure it’ll clear itself up,” Hanamaki spoke, placing a soft hand on Iwaizumi’s shoulder. 

“Yeah, whatever it is.” Matsukawa crouched down in front of them. “Come on, you gotta shimmy ‘n shake if you want us to leave you alone.”

Hanamaki shoved down a laugh and shot Matsukawa a questioning look. 

Matsukawa shrugged, “I’m trying to make you laugh, come on, up! Up we go!” Matsukawa slapped his knees and stood, reaching a long arm down to Iwaizumi who looked up at him with red-tinged eyes. He waited a moment before clasping Matsukawa’s hand, who hoisted him up and began pushing and ushering him down the empty hallway. 

“Where are you taking me you idiot.” Iwaizumi muttered through remaining sniffles. 

“Out of your damn self sabotage.” Matsukawa continued pushing him down the hallway to the now-empty third year classrooms. Hanamaki trailed curiously behind them. Without the bustle of students the hallway felt like a shell around Iwaizumi and the echoes of their shoes didn’t help that fact either. 

“If you’re trying to force us to talk, I don’t think that’s a very good idea,” Iwaizumi started. “He needs time and I obviously respect that so-”

“Would you shut up and look?” Matsukawa stopped them outside an empty classroom and pointed through the slim window on the door. 

Iwaizumi peered in. 

Oikawa was sitting at a desk in the front-center of the room, head in his arms and his shoulders trembling slightly. He looked up in a daze at the front of the room, wiped his nose with the back of his hand and closed his eyes on an exhale. 

Iwaizumi’s heart shattered. That was  _ his  _ doing. 

Hanamaki, who had realized what Matsukawa was trying to do piped up, “As you can tell, he’s not in the best shape...and neither are you.  _ Please  _ consider talking to him.”

Iwaizumi’s breathing became a labored feat once again, his eyes were wide watching not only his best friend, but the person he  _ loved  _ break down. Nothing could stop his lips from trembling at the sight, not even when he had pulled them into a taut line. 

“Obviously we don’t know the shit that went down...but  _ god  _ please sort it out fast, the team’ll fall apart if the one and only captain is incapacitated by his feelings and our ace can barely get off the floor on his own,” Matsukawa stated and crossed his arms. 

“A bit harsh Mattsun,” Hanamaki mumbled. 

Iwaizumi could barely form a sentence and when he did, what fell from his quivering mouth surprised the trio that were hidden from Oikawa’s line of sight. 

“I love him.”

The other two boys only raised their eyebrows slightly, their surprise was small, albeit there. They didn’t expect him to admit it like this. Suddenly, they had a clue as to what had transpired between the two. 

Oikawa looked out the window in the classroom, the wind had started to pick up as did the amount of rain that came pelting down onto the glass pane. He leaned back in his chair and tried to steady his breathing, completely unaware that he had an audience to his sorrowful performance. Standing up and fixing his hair, he made his way to the door and Hanamaki and Matsukawa took that as their prompt to run the other direction down the hallway. 

But Iwaizumi lingered by the door, so that when Oikawa finally opened it, he bumped right into Iwaizumi. Oikawa almost fell over because of his current pliability. 

They locked eyes for only an instant, Oikawa, although taller, involuntarily shrinking into himself and feeling much smaller than who he just walked into. 

_ “Sorry,”  _ was muttered simultaneously. And Oikawa walked back up the hall, away from Iwaizumi and Hanamaki and Matsukawa who were hiding behind another classroom’s door. 

They emerged with sympathetic looks.

“To be fair...that wasn’t supposed to happen.” Matsukawa said.

*

Iwaizumi definitely bombed the test he had. His mind much too preoccupied with his current strife to worry about ancient texts and deities.

The rain was still pelting outside in a steady stream of slicing cold. And after school, Iwaizumi was more than disappointed to find that he needed to walk through that to get to the gym. The wind bit at his skin, leaving it feeling burned and raw despite the chilling, torrential rain around him. Once he made it to the stairs of the gym he silently dreaded needing to work with Oikawa, a feeling he never thought he’d experience.

He pulled at the handle, but the door wouldn’t open. Furrowing his brows, he tried again, tugging harder. The rain around him was not sympathetic to the situation at hand and his hair was promptly soaked against his forehead, which only furthered his frustration. 

“No practice today,” said a voice behind him.

He turned and was met with Oikawa standing under the covering of the walkway leading to the gym. The extended awning didn’t do much for protection of the downpour, considering the wind blew the rain every which way. 

“Why?”

“Gym’s flooded.” 

Iwaizumi stood there though, staring at Oikawa. Who remained still as well. It was a silent standoff with about twelve feet between them. Oikawa’s eyebrows were raised in the center in a sad expression, one that was apologetic in nature and accompanied with the small smile he wore just turned it into an agonizing picture of heartache. 

“Then why are you here?” Iwaizumi bit out unwittingly. 

“Figured you’d be at the gym, decided to save you from pneumonia.” They were shouting over the wind and rain somewhat, so their messages wouldn’t get lost in the bitter wind. 

Iwaizumi felt like he was on a mountainous island and Oikawa was in a tiny tugboat pushing against raging waves. He wasn’t used to looking  _ down  _ at Oikawa, and he wanted the sensation to go away fast. 

“Thanks.” Every word he spoke came out rougher than he wanted and his mind flashed back to the night prior where his mouth had the same problem. 

Although they were both finished speaking, they still prevailed against the unrelenting winds. 

Iwaizumi struggled internally, he  _ wanted  _ to say something. To make his feelings known, but nothing came out. He opened his mouth with no plan, he hated speaking; he’d never been good with words. 

“I’m sorry.” After those words flew through the wet air, he pressed his lips together and exhaled sharply through his nose in a feeble attempt to steel his nerves. “I didn’t know how to help you last night and I-I still don’t know what the hell to say, but I  _ am  _ sorry,” he reiterated. 

Iwaizumi took two steps, so he was now no longer on the stairs leading up to the gym doors, but was level with Oikawa. Overwhelmed with the familiarity of looking slightly up at the other boy even though they were still feet apart. 

“Then why the  _ hell  _ are you so mean to me?” Iwaizumi wasn’t used to his best friend retaliating against his own jabs. And he didn’t know how to explain that it was his own mechanism to keep them just that-best friends. Nothing more, because he knew Oikawa didn’t want that. 

There wasn’t much Iwaizumi could do. Oikawa’s eyes were dull, almost empty and he wished with everything in him that the mischievous glint would return suddenly and all would be forgotten. 

Actions always spoke louder than words.

So when Iwaizumi took four strides forward and was now directly in front of Oikawa, he did the only thing he could think of. He grabbed the collar of his shirt and tugged him forward, close enough that the rain that splashed onto one, ended up on both. 

“Because I like you dammit.” The words fell from his lips before he could comprehend what  _ he  _ was saying himself. Oikawa’s eyes blew wide and Iwaizumi tugged his collar the rest of the way, jutting his face forward to meet him in a hasty, wet kiss. Oikawa stiffened in surprise momentarily before regaining his wits and kissing back. 

One of Iwaizumi’s hands trailed up to gingerly cup Oikawa’s cheek and shortly following, Oikawa hooked a hand behind his neck, pulling him impossibly closer. 

They had both kissed people before. Iwaizumi with the few partners he’s had and Oikawa with his countless. But this was different for both of them. 

It was almost like a battle for both of them; pushing against one another’s lips in a sore attempt to gain control. Control, of course, was gone the moment Iwaizumi took those few steps up to Oikawa. Oikawa’s lips felt  _ so  _ soft against Iwaizumi’s and he couldn’t help but be reminded of all those times Oikawa would lather on some fruit flavored lip balm and would implore him to try some. 

He never  _ did  _ understand why he couldn’t look away from Oikawa’s lips. 

They pulled away with just as much fervor as they had come together with. Their eyes bore into each other as they tried to catch their breath. Oikawa’s cheekbones were bright pink, and it was not from the cold. Iwaizumi’s eyes fell to his lips, those of which were redder than he’d ever seen them. 

Oikawa smirked down at him, “So you finally admit to my irresistibly huh?” A dangerous glint passed through his eyes. 

“No I don’t.”

“You just said you liked me though.” Oikawa’s usual jaunty attitude was back. “Do you not?” His taunts did not fall to deaf ears. 

Iwaizumi pulled him in again, capturing him into another intense kiss. Electricity passed between them and bounced off their bodies, making it feel like the rain was buzzing around them rather than falling and soaking them to the bone. 

Oikawa pulled away just as flushed and breathless as the first time. 

“So you  _ do.”  _ Iwaizumi rolled his eyes and nodded stiffly. “Well I’ll have you know, I like you too.” His voice got softer as he finished his sentence. 

“What?” Iwaizumi didn’t look far ahead, he wasn’t sure what he was expecting to come of this. But reciprocated feelings were definitely not a possibility on his mind at all. 

“I like you too.” Oikawa was peering down at Iwaizumi in a sort of confusion. 

“You do?” 

Oikawa couldn’t help but let out a small laugh at Iwaizumi’s expression. With his brows drawn up in both surprise and content and swollen lips slightly parted and his green eyes wide and sparkling; he looked like the perfect picture of true guilelessness. 

“Yes, I do.”

“Well then why did you waste your time with...what was her name?”

“Yui,” Oikawa answered with a small smile.

“Yeah her.”

“How else was I supposed to ignore the feelings I had for my lifelong best friend?” It was Iwaizumi’s turn to smile at this, he exhaled a small laugh. He reached up and wiped a stray rain drop from the edge of Oikawa’s nose that was threatening to fall. “Thanks for that, I was afraid we’d get wet or something.”

They both laughed at this, still intertwined and holding each other, but shaking with giggles now. Just as they usually do. 

“Not much different is it?” Oikawa asked smugly. 

“No, not really Trashykawa.” Iwaizumi broke out into a wide grin, his eyes crinkling slightly in the corners. A smile so wide that his small dimple on his right cheek revealed itself. Oikawa silently swelled with pride in being the only person to bring his dimple out, it was just for him. He dipped his head and kissed it gently as if he always had. Iwaizumi’s ears turned pink. 

“I’m sorry,” Oikawa spoke softly, “For ev-”

“No  _ I’m  _ sorry, I’m really sorry.” Iwaizumi avoided his eyes, “I shouldn’t be so mean...in general.” 

"How else were you supposed to ignore the feelings you had for your lifelong best friend?" Oikawa repeated, smiling. 

"Does that mean I'm forgiven?" 

"Hmm…" Oikawa tapped a finger to his chin. "All charges will be dropped under  _ one  _ condition." 

He attacked the skin under Iwaizumi’s ear, kissing and nibbling with giggles in between. 

“And what’s that?” Iwaizumi was smiling easily now, flirting coming as naturally to them as anything else had in the past. 

“Be my boyfriend?” Oikawa’s face was one of genuine question, not smothered with a smirk and cockiness or covered with a joke. His face was hopeful as he searched Iwaizumi’s eyes, as if digging for the answer there. 

“Of course.” Iwaizumi’s voice was softer now, he leaned up and kissed Oikawa gently. Smiling against his soft lips, and he pulled away all too soon. “Come over to my house...I wanna make up for you-you know...running away and all that.” 

Oikawa nodded and they untangled themselves from one another and made their way to the train station to go to Iwaizumi’s place. The ride was as it usually went, they argued over a seat, teased each other about how they sat, nudged at each other with their feet. The only change was the connection of their hands between them. Oikawa rubbed small circles onto Iwaizumi’s rough knuckles. 

They entered his house the same as always, Oikawa getting all too much in Iwaizzumi’s way as they kicked off their wet shoes and Iwaizumi handed Oikawa  _ his  _ slippers that he kept at Iwaizumi’s house. No one was home yet, so they noisily made their way to Iwaizumi’s room and he immediately searched for towels to dry themselves off. 

“I’m fine I don’t- _ ow!”  _ He exclaimed as Iwaizumi tossed a towel onto his head. 

“It didn’t even hit you that hard, plus I don’t want you to get sick so dry off and I’ll get you dry clothes.”

Oikawa smiled warmly at the sight of Iwaizumi tugging out his own clothes for him and allowing him to change. 

They only left his room for dinner that evening, taking most of their time to apologize and speak about what happened calmly. Laying together on Iwaizumi’s bed just as they had before, only now it was not tense, it was comforting and quiet, their hushed whispers breaking through the night as they discussed their new relationship. Their conversation lulled to comfortable silence and they held each other close.

And in the silence of the stretching night, Oikawa speaks up. 

“Thank you for letting me stay over.” 

“Of course,” He responded. “Isn’t that what boyfriends are supposed to do anyway?” He smiled with pride. Oikawa only nodded and pulled himself closer. Their embrace warming up their previously chilled bodies. They wore twin smiles as they remained calmly intertwined for the rest of the night. 


End file.
